


Demonology

by imaginaryfriendashkun



Series: Spence has powers [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: BAU family, Episode: s04e17 Demonology, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kind of AU, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Warning - Drug abuse triggers and reminders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 20:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5941567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginaryfriendashkun/pseuds/imaginaryfriendashkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Spencer Reid has supernatural powers like feeling people's emotions and reading their minds? They suddenly developed after the Hankel case. But the powers are kind of erratic and he hasn't learned to control them yet. The team knows about this. </p><p>Episode Demonology - Prentiss asks him for help saving her friend, Reid tries to refuse but ends up helping her anyway and it puts strain on his body and sends his sensitive mind into over drive and the team helps him recover, after all they are a family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demonology

**Author's Note:**

> My first CM fic. My second fic as a whole. If characters are OOC, sorry about that and do tell me so that I can improve on the characterization.
> 
> This is based on the episode Demonology - Prentiss realizes that the victim who is dead is her friend Matthew from high school and meets John, her other friend. In the end, John is also in trouble and goes missing and this puts more stress on Prentiss.
> 
> This is a different take on that episode. What would have happened if Spence had supernatural powers and Prentiss asks for his help? If there are any mistakes relating to this episode, sorry, this is kind of an AU and I changed certain elements.
> 
> I am just assuming that the team knows about Morgan/Spence and I am not going to go deep into that in this fic.
> 
> This is 'unbetaed' and all mistakes are my own. Do point out glaring mistakes (spelling or tense or grammar or anything) so I can change them.

Prentiss looks at Reid and immediately Reid knows what she is going to ask him. He readies himself, after all he is a profiler, but he doesn't know how he is going to respond. He can read 20,000 words per minute and has an IQ of 187 but social interactions still baffle him. He can solve any engineering or math or science puzzle but he is still awkward around people even though he is a profiler and can read everyone like a open book.

 

Prentiss doesn't even hesitate, she asks Reid, "Can't you try to read him, Reid? I want to save him. The only reason John is probably in this mess is because of me, because he is trying to find answers for the questions we were asking and for Matthew's sake."

 

Reid on the other hand hesitates. "You know that my powers are not authentic, Emily."

 

"Won't you at least try?"

 

Spencer can say that Emily is feeling emotional, this case after all is close to her home, one of her close friends (Matthew) who had helped her and had stood by her when all other members of her little town and the church had gone against her is dead and other one, John, is missing. John, Matthew and Emily had been friends during their high school years and both of them had accepted her when she had been different from all the other students.

 

And now she wants to save John at any cost, she has already lost Matthew and she doesn't want to repeat the mistake with John. Prentiss - usually logical and rational is now feeling vulnerable for the first time and Spence doesn't know what to do.

 

He would gladly like to help but he hasn't told anyone except Derek the fact that he is always scared shitless of his powers. His powers usually left him feeling very exposed, very weak and he didn't like feeling open. He wants to comfort her but it would be inappropriate. 

 

It also brought back cravings - he still cannot bring himself to hate what Tobias did to him in Georgia, Tobias was just trying to help except the method he chose was wrong, it helped Spence momentarily but other than that, it had been nothing but a pain in the ass. He had gotten over it and had gotten strong but sometimes during his darkest moments, they reared their ugly ass.

 

Other side effects were bad memories and nightmares, especially if he delved too much into a person's psyche. And there was also the fact that some mentally and psychologically strong people can actually fight back and that would leave him emotionally and physically exhausted and he could be the one who would be mentally attacked by them.

 

He doesn't say anything.

 

Prentiss glares at him, "You would do it for Morgan, won't you?"

 

Spence stutters, "Em-ily! How can you say that? This is not fair. I am still not ready to use my powers to their fullest potential, I am still learning and there's a lot of things I don't know about my powers. They just suddenly developed after Hankel's case. There's not a lot of people out there whom I can learn from and-"

 

Emily stops his rants in the middle effectively by raising her hands.

 

Before Emily could say anything though, Morgan, Dave and Hotch come in. Prentiss walks away without looking back at any of them to join JJ.

 

Morgan, Dave and Hotch look like they have figured out what has happened, they have been expecting it since the start of the case. None of them had ever asked Spencer for such a favor before but they couldn't bring themselves to blame Prentiss either.

 

Hotch decides to behave as if nothing has happened. This is between Prentiss and Reid and he cannot intervene. They have to talk it out themselves. He just hopes that Reid wouldn't do anything stupid just to prove himself. Reid is strong, they all know it but sometimes Reid tries to show everyone that he can take care of himself and it doesn't usually end well for any of them.

 

"Dave, you and me, let us talk to the last victim's family. Morgan, Reid, you two talk to Garcia and figure out a connection between the three victims. Ask JJ and Prentiss to go talk to John's family."

 

Morgan and Spence nod at Hotch. Dave just ruffles Spencer's hair, Hotch pats Reid's shoulder and they both leave.

 

Morgan sighs, "Pretty Boy, don't even think about doing it."

 

Spence starts walking away from Morgan. He is careful to not look at Morgan. "You don't even know what I am going to do, Derek."

 

Morgan pulls Reid by his hand, this effectively stops Reid. "I know what Emily asked you to do. We all do. We are all profilers, Reid. Don't put yourself out there. Time and again, you have told me how much you are afraid of using your powers. We all never ask you to do it because we all know how your powers make you feel helpless sometiems, even Emily does, we are going to find John the usual way. We didn't need your powers before and we won't need them. After we catch the bad guy and bring back John safely, Emily will understand. You don't have anything to prove."

 

Reid nods but doesn't say anything.

 

Morgan doesn't let go of Reid's wrist, he pulls Reid towards a nearby empty room and closes the door behind him and hugs Reid. "Kid, promise me, please. I can't stand if you get hurt, Spencer."

 

Reid still doesn't say anything.

 

Morgan gently lifts Spence's chin. "Hey, look at me, Reid."

 

Reid finally meets his eyes and Morgan can see that Reid is very sad and upset. "Don't carry everything on your shoulder, you hear me? We are all here for you. I am here always for you. Remember how you tried to shut me out after the Hankel case? Did it work? We are still here together, aren't we? You can't get rid of me easily."

 

Reid finally smiles, it's a bit shaky but it's not fake. Morgan knows that his powers are a very very sensitive subject for Reid and Reid hates talking about it even with his BAU family. He has talked only to Morgan himself and Hotch about this in detail. He has talked to Garcia, JJ, Prentiss and Dave too but Reid is much more close to Morgan for obvious reasons and to Hotch too. Reid looks up to Hotch as if he is a father figure.

 

Hotch may be very strict when it comes to the job but with his BAU family, Hotch would do anything to keep them safe. Spence is the youngest of them all and they hate it when he is in a sticky situation. Spence doesn't like it when they try to protect him, after all, Spence can take care of himself both mentally and physically and he has proved that he is quite capable again and again and again in the field. 

 

He is quick with his mind when his other team members are not, he can make connections quickly during tricky situations and riddles, he can think and act clearly during stressful times, even physically Reid has come a long way by learning self defense and using a gun effectively.

 

Still, the members of BAU worry about each other, look out for each other and Spence is the one they all care for the most. It's a delicate balance and it's the way the BAU family works and nothing would ever change that.

 

Morgan pulls Reid forward and places a chaste kiss on Reid's lips, a small peck. Spence's smile widens.

 

Morgan and Spence walk out of the room without saying anything else but Morgan decides to keep an eye on Spence none the less because Spence would probably try to escape and find John using his powers and Morgan is not ready to face the repercussions of that. Spence cannot easily fool Morgan.

 

**********

 

Morgan had been damn right! One second he had taken his eyes of Spencer and the next second he was missing. 

 

Hotch, Dave, JJ and Prentiss returned a few minutes ago and they were all surprised to find that Spence was missing. It looks like they had had a lot of trust and faith in Morgan's ability to look after Spence and keep him from leaving.

 

Prentiss had talked to JJ and had cooled her head. Right now, all she wants to do is to apologize to Spence but he is missing and they all know with a sick gut feeling that Spence would probably be at John's house trying to figure out where John could be.

 

Spence can touch people's belongings and feel about peoples's whereabouts, especially with personal belongings. The things people touch, their rooms, the places they have been too, all these things have a left over energy and these things could also be felt by Spence along with people's auras.

 

Hotch, Dave, JJ, Prentiss and Morgan don't want to waste anymore time. JJ and Prentiss hadn't learnt much from John's parents because John was living on his own. Hotch and Dave had talked to the recent victim's parents and had found the same marks beneath the bed in the vic's room as if the someone had been tied to the bed and had tried to escape whatever had been happening.

 

It must have been terrifying, to have tried to escape in that desperate way and still they hadn't been able to get away.

 

Morgan had found out the connection between the victims with Spence before Spence had decided to take off - all of the vic's parents had recently visited the same church and had talked to the Father about rituals and purification.

 

Hotch says, "Dave, Prentiss, go to the church, find more about the Father. JJ, stay back in case Reid returns. Morgan, you and me, we are going to John's house."

 

Dave, Prentiss, JJ left immediately.

 

Hotch waits and finally says, "You need to keep your cool, Morgan. He can take care of himself but don't do anything reckless."

 

Morgan nods, "You are trusting me, that's why you are bringing me with you, otherwise you wouldn't."

 

Hotch doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to.

 

**********

 

Reid knows that this is a bad idea as soon as he is in front of John's house. He didn't get anything from the bodies or the rooms of the first two victims because he wasn't feeling emotional. He is right now and it scares him but he has to do this. He still remembers the way Emily looked at him.

 

He is doing this not only for her but also for himself, he cannot just keep running away from his powers. He has to learn to control them, to keep them in check, he can't let his powers control him forever.

 

He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, he waits for sometime. He slowly tries opening the door knob and to his surprise, the door is open. He goes in and looks around. There's no one in the living room or the kitchen or the bedroom downstairs.

 

He hears some sound coming from upstairs. He takes his gun out and slowly heads up the stairs. And everything hits him all at once.

 

The church Father is the one who is responsible after all. The parents have been contacting the church Father to set their sons in the right path, the Father has been killing them in the name of purification and rituals and he knows that no one would say anything because these parents believe in God and the Father.

 

Spencer recoils as he feels the Father's emotions. He sees these victims as nothing but people who hate God and he wants them to believe in God and when they don't, he kills them in the name of God. Who would do something so disgusting like that?

 

He then feels the parents' sad emotions, they don't know what else to do to save their children. He then feels John, John is tied and this time John is the one who is going to die!

 

He concentrates and delves into John's psyche and it's easier said than done. Spencer is stuck on the spot by a sudden terror and pure fear, then he starts thrashing and falls down the stairs and his gun goes away flying. He cannot breathe, he is being restrained, he is shaking and quivering and he can hear the Father and the others' hymns and chants and it's all so eerie. He claws at his throat but he cannot feel his hands or legs.

 

He feels as if the very life is being sucked out of him agonizingly slowly. He feels like he is being suffocated, oppressed, suppressed and everything around is dark and he is floating and suddenly he is falling and tumbling down a steep hill and he hits every rock and he is drowning.

 

Spencer struggles to calm down the fear, he takes a few deep breaths. With sheer will power, he shuts off his mind and hugs himself and rocks on the floor. He then thinks of Emily, he has to save John. He has to do this. He opens his mind slowly, in a hesitating manner.

 

He doesn't expand his consciousness, he just lets it reach John alone.

 

He tries speaking to John mentally. "Don't struggle, it will only make him worse, trust me, calm down, accept that God exists, stop struggling, if you don't, he will kill you."

 

He feels John's negative feelings slowly ebb away and they both take a deep breath.

 

Spencer immediately gets up on shaking legs and grabs the railing for support and text Morgan. 

 

'At John's house, upstairs, we need to arrest the Father. Come ASAP.'

 

He searches for the gun, finds it and picks it up. He slowly climbs up the stairs again. He shuts his mind off and wills himself to not feel anything. Every step he takes is hard and as soon as he is at the top, he feels as if he has finished climbing a mountain. He is panting and sweating and he steadies himself.

 

He hears sirens and knows that Morgan and Hotch are on the way. He smiles to himself and nods.

 

He kicks open the door and points his gun at the Father. "Stop what you are doing right now."

 

He looks at the parents and says, "John doesn't need saving." He points at the Father and says, "You are the one who needs saving."

 

He hears thudding footsteps and soon enough, Hotch and Morgan are behind him. He sags in relief. The Father slowly backs away from John's bed. Spence rushes forward and unties John immediately.

 

John shakes his head and hugs him and whispers repeatedly, "I heard you, thank you, thank you, thank you for saving my life."

 

Spencer is not a touchy feely person, he hates touching people but he doesn't let go of John because he knows exactly what John has been through. He is glad that Emily can see John alive.

 

Hotch cuffs the Father and leaves but Spence knows that Hotch will reprimand him on the plane.

 

He looks at Morgan over John's shoulder. Morgan doesn't look angry, he just looks relieved. He smiles at Reid and Reid smiles without holding anything back. 

 

His heart feels lighter.

 

**********

 

Emily hugs him tightly as soon as he returns and says, "I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do this."

 

Spence smiles, "It's not a problem, Emily. I think I can actually learn how to control my powers. I am a man of science and technology... I guess I was trying to get rid of my powers. They have no reason to exist, no reason to be, they cannot be proved by science. I was fighting against a part of me. But now I won't fight anymore, this will probably help me move forward."

 

Emily, Morgan, Dave and JJ smile.

 

Hotch doesn't.

 

Spence just looks at Hotch and Hotch says, "If you do this again, I will take you off the team, Reid. This is reckless and you cannot put yourself in danger by barging in without any of us. If you are going to use your powers during cases, don't do it alone, do I make myself clear?"

 

Spence smiles and it seems like he has been smiling a lot. The smile seems infectious too as Hotch's lips lift upwards briefly. No one else except BAU members notice Hotch's smile because it's such a rarity and so subtle that only people know Hotch personally will be able to tell that he is actually smiling.

 

**********

 

Reid thrashes around, he doesn't want to remember, he doesn't want to feel, this is too much, he just wants to sleep peacefully. Why the hell can't he get even a single night's peaceful sleep? 

 

He doesn't know what he is doing, it feels as if he is walking but he knows that he is asleep. But why does it feel so real and like a dream at the same time? And then the feeling of want to be peaceful hits him again as he remembers Tobias and Dilaudid.

 

He physically slaps himself hard and sits down and holds his head. All the pain would go away, he wouldn't feel hurt at all, he wouldn't feel sad or angry or upset or depressed or stressed. His mind works at supersonic speed and he wants to be free of it all, he wants to be peaceful.

 

He has to suppress himself to touch the crook of his elbow. He is sweating again. He hears voices but they are not clear.

 

**********

 

Morgan tries to calm Reid's thrashing body on the plane's couch. He had been sitting on the couch and had dozed off, Spence had been lying next to him with his head on Morgan's lap. And now Spence is thrashing and Morgan is standing over Reid trying to hold him down so that he wouldn't hurt himself or anyone else by mistake.

 

A sudden kick and a punch throws him off guard, he falls back onto Dave who catches him.

 

It seems like everyone has heard Reid's screams, whines, whimpers and wails and had woken up too.

 

Reid stands up and starts walking but they all realize that his eyes are still closed.

 

JJ whispers, "He is sleep walking!"

 

Prentiss shakes her head, "I am not sure this is sleep walking, Jayje. This must be the after effects of his powers."

 

They all realize from her tone that she feels guilty, blames and hates herself for putting Spence in this position.

 

Hotch steps forward and gently pats Reid's shoulders and speaks to him soothingly. "This is just a dream, Reid."

 

Others try speaking to him too. It seems to be working but suddenly Reid falls down in a heap, all tangled long awkward limbs and holds his head.

 

Morgan wraps a hand around Reid's hands and lightly caresses his forehead.

 

Hotch and Dave just sit next to Reid. JJ and Prentiss just keep on talking and finally after painful, sickening ten minutes, Reid finally opens his eyes and looks at them all.

 

He clutches Hotch's shirt and snuggles closer to him and they all realize that he is still half asleep and exhausted.

 

Hotch doesn't fight back, he just lets Reid place his head on his lap. He deserves a good sleep.

 

They all just settle next to Hotch and cover themselves with a blanket. They were family and they take care of themselves - always. They may not be connected in blood but they are connected in bond. And nothing will ever take this away from them and if someone or something tries, they will fight tooth and nail and will win - always, forever.

 

They are going home in a few hours.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
